Air suspension systems are used in vehicles to provide a smooth and constant ride. They may be found in all types of vehicles, including in particular, trucks and trailers. An air pump or air compressor pressurizes the air within one or more air bags (or air springs), raising the chassis of the vehicle from the axles. Typically, the air springs are inflated with pressurized air until a certain ride height is reached (the ride height being the distance between the bottom of the trailer and the center of the axle). For heavier loads, a higher air pressure within the air springs is needed before the ride height is reached. The air within the air springs provides the vehicle with suspension by isolating the vehicle's contents from bumps and vibrations caused by travel on the road.
Currently, load operators are able to determine the particular air pressure within the system by reading a pressure gauge. These gauges are typically located in the cabs of the trucks, or the gauges are on sides of the trailers. Therefore, a person loading a trailer would not be able to monitor the air pressure without either periodically going inside the cab or to the side of the trailer or communicating in some manner with a person reading the gauges. This is both time-consuming and prone to error (e.g. if there is an error in communications between the load operator and the person within the cab). In addition, the gauges may be difficult to read, especially at night. All of the above create a safety issue.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved system for monitoring the air pressure within an air suspension system that overcomes the deficiencies noted above.